Argentina in brief

Let’s change government rejects justice’s request for an extension

President Mauricio Macri’s administration rejected a judicial request submitted by Supreme Court Justice Elena Highton de Nolasco to remain in the court after her 75th birthday this coming December 7. Supreme Court justices have been required to retire on the 75th birthday ever since the Constitutional reform of 1994. Although the Let’s Change administration is against Highton’s request, they had supported the late justice Carlos Fayt, who refused to retire despite being 97-years-old. If Highton ends up leaving, the Let’s Change administration will be allowed to appoint a new justices to the court. Highton had before said that she would retire before she turned 75 or when she turned that age, because she wanted to comply with the Constitution.

Prosecutor requests that CFK be brought to trial

Prosecutor Eduardo Taiano submitted a request to federal judge Claudio Bonadio that former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner be sent to a public trial over the irregular sale of dollar futures contracts that was allegedly sold at a lower price than the market rate. The defendants’ attorneys will have six days to answer the request. Fernández de Kirchner has publicly said that she wants to go to a public trial as soon as possible and will not appeal Taiano’s request, that she be publicly tried for fraud. But there are an estimated dozen of defendants who have been indicted, making it most likely that they will appeal the request, which could delay the beginning of the public trial. Judge Bonadio has already ordered a 15 million peso lien and has frozen all her assets.

angelici defends himself after leaked recordings demonstrate how he tried to influence a referee’s decision

Recordings of a controversial conversation that Boca soccer club president Daniel Angelici had with the President of the Argentine Futbol Federation (AFA) Luis Segura were leaked this week, showing how the Mauricio Macri’s ally uses his influence to get lighter penalties for his soccer players. While Angelici recognised that the call “was wrong”, he defended himself saying “I don’t regret defending the interests of Boca.” In the leaked call made two years ago, the Boca president had talked with Segura about the head of the AFA’s court of discipline, and how he asked him to reduce the sanctions against Boca soccer players Leandro Marín and Cristian Erbes. Angelici has also previously been accused of putting pressure on judicial authorities. A president’s ally, Civic Coalition firebrand Elisa Carrió, filed a suit against Angelici for his alleged role as a political operator.